But, in the case of first baseman Prince Fielder, settling for a one-year deal wasn't even considered.

“There was no reason to sustain anything,” Boras said. “Sometimes I do that. Sometimes there are positions and takes in the market that call for it, but in this situation, it was a very aggressive marketplace.”

There was speculation Fielder might consider a one-year deal this season in an effort to drum up interest in a 2013 free-agent market that was expected to be less crowded than 2012.

With superstars like Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, C.J. Wilson, Jimmy Rollins and Aramis Ramirez already signed to excessive multi-year deals, it appeared the Fielder sweepstakes wouldn’t boast a club willing to invest eight-plus years of guaranteed service at $20 million-plus per season.

The Miami Marlins, Los Angles Angels, Texas Rangers had already committed to spending $150 million-plus this offseason and the New York Yankees had seemingly removed themselves from discussions.

If Fielder agreed to an overgenerous one-year deal, many believed he would be better suited to enter a market next fall when the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets were in a better position to bid.

Despite February quickly approaching, Fielder said he wasn’t concerned -- and, according to Boras, they never wavered from the original $200 million-plus offer they were initially seeking.

“There’s no wristwatch on extraordinary talent. I’ve signed players late and early -- it’s just not a function of time,” Boras said. “These are players that you can’t find. They’re historic players that have the ability to be in the Hall of Fame and have the ability to hit 600 home runs.

“Teams can’t find these guys.”

But that didn’t prevent a few clubs from inquiring about a potential one-year deal – including the club that would eventually sign him to the fourth-largest contract in baseball history.

Boras suggested Fielder could have likely been signed earlier in the offseason, but the 27-year-old took a trip overseas for several days in the first part of January, putting his free-agent decision on hold until Jan. 11.

Fielder and his wife, Chanel, took a trip they had planned for two years to renew their wedding vows. Boras said the timing of the vacation made the process “challenging” because Fielder wanted to meet every interested club.

“We had a number of teams waiting,” Boras said. “And Prince had to meet everyone involved.”

The delay didn’t appear to prevent a handful of teams from inquiring about the three-time All-Star, including the the Los Angeles Dodgers, who reportedly offered Fielder a seven-year deal worth approximately $160 million.

The Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals also submitted bids, but they were reportedly much shorter than the nine years Fielder commanded.

“Because these players pay for themselves, they’re wanted on all levels. You move players and trade players to make room for these types of players,” Boras said. “There’s nothing that stands in front of these players – and there aren’t many of them.”